MxMIndia

Category: MEDIA

  • It's taken some time to get to the world, but it's here. With loads of insights – 121 of them making it an unputdownable volume

    It’s here. The MxMIndia Annual 2014

     

    The MxMIndia Annual 2014 is out.

     

    Yes, the 2014 edition has been much delayed,  but it’s here. Yesterday, on the happy occasion of Baisakhi, Bahag Bihu, Vishu, Puthandu, Vaisakhadi, Mesadi and of course Ambedkar Jayanti, we launched the edition officially.

     

    As many as 121 captains of the industry have written exclusively for the Annual… on what ticks for Indian consumers.  We wanted this to be a guest writers-only issue so the MxMIndia team of writers, columnists and staffers have not written for the issue.

     

    The attempt is to make it reader-friendly, and not one where you have to hunt for content within advertising.

     

    The magazine is being distributed across the country to our database and it will be with you in the next week. We have restricted the distribution to only a select number of people in the industry.

     

    Although it’s for private circulation with the cover price of Rs 250, the magazine can be bought in bulk from our office in Mumbai at a special rate. Write to sales@mxmindia.com and we’ll respond asap.

     

    Soon, a special paid-for edition will be available for e-readers and popular e-magazine platforms.

     

  • Salman Khan has turned a barber, Harbhajan Singh became a namkeen seller, Mika Singh a chaiwala, Ranbir Kapoor as a vada pav seller, Karan Johar as a photographer… all the celebs in Season One of 'Mission Sapne' will perfom pro bono in the Colors and Tata Motors initiative for underprivileged children

    Tata Motors joins Colors and celebs for ‘Mission Sapne’

    By A Correspondent

     

    For a channel that does such big ticket entertainment shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi, Bigg Boss, 24 and of course a slew of top-rated serials, ‘Mission Sapne’ is a unique concept in societal welfare. And now Tata Motors has joined Colors on this special initative for underprivileged individuals that starts on Sunday, April 27 at 8pm.

     

    To be hosted by popular actress Sonali Bendre, brings together celebrities from various walks of life and encourages them to leverage their fame for the benefit of the common man. As a part of the show, audiences will get an opportunity to see their favourite celebrities step into the shoes of the common man for a day and earn their daily wage.

     

    Season one of the show will see Salman Khan turning a barber, Varun Dhawan being a pattiwala, Harbhajan Singh as a namkeen seller, Mika Singh as a chaiwala, Ranbir Kapoor as a vada pav seller, Karan Johar as a photographer and the list goes on.  The celebs will use their talent, wit and star persona to bring a change in their ordinary and tough life.  Each of the celebrities have participated in the show pro bono.

     

    Speaking about the partnership, Ankush Arora, SVP – Passenger Vehicles Business Unit (Commercial), Tata Motors, said, “At Tata Motors, we have always believed in putting our customers first and through our association, with Colors for Mission Sapne, we hope to ingrain this thought further amongst our audiences. The show’s focus on working towards the betterment of the society has struck a chord in our hearts and we look forward to contributing, in our own little way, towards this cause.”

     

    Raj Nayak

    Speaking about their latest venture, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors says, “We are extremely delighted to announce our partnership with a like-minded organization like- Tata Motors through this property. We’re also very thankful to each and every celebrity who voluntarily joined us for this noble cause.”

     

  • While the compulsion to move part of annual cricketing spectacle out of India may have taken off some of the excitement, sponsors have made a comeback. Now for the viewers…

    IPL 7: Living on a prayer, and a little luck

    By Johnson Napier

     

    Blame it on the late player auctions that were held early this year or the match-fixing allegations that keeps cropping up intermittently or the fact that the General Elections may have taken the hype away from the greatest sporting spectacle coming out of India every year – the IPL. While IPL 6 was already making waves this time last year, the scenario is a little different in Twenty Fourteen with most team-owners still making last ditch attempts in getting their act together including enticing advertisers into partnering them afresh.

     

    But whatever the challenges being presented, the tournament does promise to provide its dose of entertainment this year as well. To begin with, there would be only 60 matches being played this year with the tournament being staged in two phases including one in the UAE from April 16 to May 1 and the India leg that will be staged from May 2nd onwards. In fact broadcaster Multi Screen Media (MSM) is already making its presence felt and has managed to get a decent number of brands to endorse the event this year as well – the same number as IPL 6.

     

    MSM has inked deals with nine presenting and associate sponsors for the seventh season of IPL. The presenting sponsors include Vodafone and Karbonn Mobile who are estimated to have spent approximate Rs 50 crore while the associate sponsors comprise Amazon India, Havells, Perfetti, Marico and TVS all of whom fall under the Rs 25-30 crore cost bracket.

     

    While MSM does seem to have made sufficient inroads with brands, what will eventually decide the success of the tournament is the average viewership ratings that it will throw at the end of the tournament. According to data shared last year, IPL managed to generate an average cumulative TVR of 3.1 in HSM markets and a rating of 3 in C&S 4+ all India. This was much lower than the 3.45 HSM average TVR it reported in 2012.

     

    Ashish Bhasin
    Anita Nayyar

    Sharing his opinion on whether the tournament will live up to its hype or not, Ashish Bhasin, Chairman & CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network and Chairman Posterscope & psLive Asia Pacific, said: “I think the seventh season of the IPL will build up as the tournament progresses and be near normal towards the final stages. But it will have a slow start, compared to past years,” he affirmed.

     

    Putting forth her views, Anita Nayyar, CEO- India & South Asia, Havas Media Group said, “IPL has always been an interesting event irrespective of the reasons. Across seasons it has delivered well whether in India or South Africa. Especially the last leg towards the finals has always been an advertiser’s delight with ratings upwards of 10.”

     

    On what the current season will hold for the tournament, Ms Nayyar said, “The seventh season is generating a lot of interest inspite of the shift between UAE and India amongst advertisers who do view IPL as a mass reach medium. Moreover, while it is election time the interest in IPL still stands. This is further vindicated by an analysis of viewership of various genres during elections, which indicates that it does not have any major impact on sports (cricket) or GECs, however the Hindi news genre gains share. Given the situation, IPL holds its own and should continue to deliver viewership and hence interest and acceptability from advertisers.”

     

    Perhaps the right indicator of how viewership could be bought back to the sport could be assessed from what Vinit Karnik, National Director, Sports & Live Events, GroupM ESP had to state in the SportzPower-GroupM joint report on the Sports Sponsorship report. Karnik had stated thus: “Even though the IPL is off to a rough start this year, in the long run accountability, better corporate governance, more transparency, are all good for not just the IPL, but the BCCI too.”

     

    Another factor that will decide whether the tournament receives a positive response this year is the buzz that it will create from the online medium. This year, starsports.com has licensed the digital distribution rights for IPL 2014 from Times Internet. Starsports.com thus will be streaming video on demand on its portal and would not be played on Youtube like last year. With an aim to attract 20 million more users onto the digital platform, starsports.com will be looking at bettering the 2013 viewership numbers that were reported to be in the region of 200 million video views.

     

    Thus, with the countdown to the greatest cricket spectacle only a few hours away, one can look forward to an average outing from the team and brands at the IPL this year. One only hopes that the match-fixing allegations do not make their presence felt yet again or the organisers will have to face additional bottlenecks next year as well. And possibly no ‘bulawa’ as well.

     

  • Food is so much tastier and so much more fun when you eat with your fingers, wrote Wally Olins in this article that appeared in Kyoorius magazine

    Wally Olins: The joys of eating with your fingers

    This column, originally titled ‘How I Like to Eat’ appeared in Kyoorius magazine in December 2013. Republished with permission from the publisher.

     

    By Wally Olins

     

    The other day I went out to a very smart dinner party in London. There were about twelve people there. The men were all wearing dinner jackets and bow ties and the ladies wore very glamorous, expensive frocks. We all stood about in a rather grand room having drinks, then we drifted into a vast dining room. The shiny mahogany table was decorated with mountains of candles and silver and, when I looked down, I saw a vast mass of cutlery and glass. There were four knives on one side and four forks on the other side of my place setting and two spoons and forks and a knife on top, together with several glasses, all of different sizes and shapes. There were, of course, side plates, dinner plates and plates on top of the dinner plates, all exquisitely decorated – if you like that kind of thing. My table napkin was so large I was nearly choked by it. Water was served; still or sparkling? White wine. Then red wine. Then a different red wine in a different glass. And it went on and on.

     

    Wally with students

    Naturally, as the various courses were served, mostly small bits of hugely decorated pastry stuff, everybody chased the tiny portions around their plate with a small knife that wouldn’t cut and a fork that wouldn’t hold. We all delicately nibbled away, starting with the knife and fork on the outside and gradually moving inside. It went on like that for quite a long time. For ever.

     

    Eventually a meat dish arrived. I just couldn’t properly slice or spear the piece of meat clinging to a fine bone on my dinner plate. It kept on slipping around. Eventually, I surreptitiously picked it up with my fingers, which I hid behind my vast napkin. That’s when I began to think how much nicer food tastes when you eat it like that. There’s something about cutlery and the whole paraphernalia of the way food is served in the west which seems to me to undermine its taste.

     

    Why can’t we eat with our fingers? I so much prefer sitting (not on the floor with knees crossed though) – just sitting, on a chair, at a table, tearing the naans and parathas apart while chomping away at some marvellous tandoori and rice and pilau and biryani and fish curry with lots of sauces on the side. It’s so much tastier and so much more fun. And I’m quite content with the Kingfisher beer that goes with it.

     

    India, for me, in the eating department you win hands down.

     

  • ZenithOptimedia Group has announced the launch of its full service, fully owned Mobile marketing subsidiary 'Performics Mobile'

    ZenithOptimedia launches Performics Mobile

    By A Correspondent

     

    ZenithOptimedia Group has announced the launch of its full service, fully owned Mobile marketing subsidiary ‘Performics Mobile’. The subsidiary has already bagged the mandate for Nestle, SBI Life, Tata AIG, Musafir, ZeeQ, Cordlife and will handle these businesses out of its Mumbai and Delhi offices.

     

    Performics Mobile will focus on building brands on mobile through crafting and managing end-to-end solutions across all platforms and services. Platforms will include display, search, social, SMS, MMS, videos and Services will includedriving application downloads,incentivizing activations, generating site traffic, m-commerce and content-driven solutions. Also, in one of the firsts in the market, it will also bring in mobile programmatic buying using Publicis’s AOD platform.

     

    The subsidiary will be led by Nirvan Biswas who has 17 years of experience across diverse companies like Netcore, Midday, Rediff.com and Boston Consulting across both  technical and business roles. A cross-functional team will support him across creative, development and media.

     

    Says Tanmay Mohanty, MD, Performics: “The market for marketing via mobile devices is one of the fastest-growth areas in the advertising sector. That growth has continued over the last year – reflecting a 400% rise. We believe that there is significant potential in offering this specialist expertise across our client base and new clients.”

     

    Anupriya Acharya

    Adds Anupriya Acharya, Group CEO, Zenith Optimedia Group: “Mobiles, Tablets, Phablets are seeing explosive growth – a clear demo of insatiable consumer appetite for the convenience, content, information and connectivity provided by these. It is but obvious that as more and more consumers shift their attention here, the space becomes critical to have a focused full service offering in this space. I am confident that Nirvan and team are set for explosive growth and will transform the way mobile marketing is being looked at currently.”

     

  • This year, the focus was on 'The Curious Minds' study which has thrown some interesting insights on how today's young people are evolving

    MTV YMF focuses on ‘The curious minds’

    By a correspondent

     

    MTV India organized the MTV Youth Marketing Forum that looked at ways to decode the youth of today. This year, the focus was on ‘The Curious Minds’ study which has thrown some interesting insights on how today’s young people are evolving.

     

    Aditya Swamy

    Explaining the theme, Aditya Swamy, Executive Vice President and Business Head of MTV India, said, “Curious Minds is the largest insight study we have commissioned in terms of the spread of the study. We have brought in fresh new techniques to collect and analyse the data. The headline of what has emerged is that today young people are using their curiosity to curate their lives. It was a great pleasure for me to share this with our business partners in order to build a strong connect with young people through cutting edge content.”

     

    Every year, MTV undertakes an extensive research to understand what makes its core audience – the youth – make the choices that they do. The findings and insights gathered from this research are then presented through interactive seminars and presentations every year at the MTV Youth Marketing Forum. This year, MTV had conversations with more than 11,000 young people across more than 40 cities across Sec A & B in India to find out what exactly makes them tick. MTV has spoken to youth across 13-25 years as the definition of youth is getting stretched.

     

    This year at the MTV Youth Marketing Forum, MTV invited some of the best known marketers, trend hunters and thought leaders from across the globe to come together and dissect the bold and ever-changing world of the youth. The day saw trend presentations and interactive sessions delivered by content creators, brand bosses and everything in between.

     

  • It's the biggest Voting Day in General Elections 2014. And if you haven't voted yet, do that now!

    Vote karo, Vote kara, Vote maadi!

     

    It’s the biggest Voting Day in General Elections 2014. As many as 121 constituencies go out to vote in the fifth of the nine-phase Lok Sabhha election.

     

    Delhi and the region (Gurgaon and Noida) have voted and Mumbai is next week (April 24), but some key cities are voting today: Bengaluru and Pune, for instance.

     

    It’s a holiday in most offices in places where there’s polling. In fact it’s mandatory to be shut, except of course in those set-ups where it’s vital for staff to come in (like newsmedia offices, for instance). But even there, employees need to be given adequate time to be able to go out and vote.

     

    By the time you read this, a good time of the voting day would’ve elapsed. So if you haven’t gone out and voted, please do so now. Puhleez!

     

    Do whatever, but vote you must. We keep cribbing about how the country is going to the dogs. Inefficiencies, corruption, awful law and order,,,   Participating in the polling process is a good way to show the finger to a leader you don’t trust and help elect someone you think can make a difference to your life as well as that of the rest of the country.

     

    Enough gyaan. Please do go out and cast your vote. Also, if you meet someone who is feeling too lazy to do that, persuade him or her.

     

    As they say in Kannada: Vote Maadi. Or in Marathi: Vote Kara! Vote Karo… Vote you Must!

     

  • BITM has already started the work on new Summer Campaign slated to be released soon

    Jabong goes for Bang in the Middle

    By A Correspondent

     

    Online fashion store Jabong has awarded its creative mandate to Bang in the Middle.

     

    With very ambitious growth plans and a desire to redefine the way India buys fashion, Bang in the Middle (BITM) would create a series of campaigns across offline and online medium to accelerate Brand Jabong’s journey to market leadership. BITM has already started the work on new Summer Campaign slated to be released soon.

     

    Prathap Suthan

    Commenting on the win, Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner and CCO, Bang in the Middle said “Jabong is truly a leader brand in the online fashion space, and we are delighted that they found merit in what we shared. More than anything else, there’s a warm, honest and wonderful chemistry in our relationship. I know Jabong is driven by people who know the e-com space inside out, and are open to latitude. I do know our experience will work quite efficiently, and I look forward to a stretch of brilliant and good looking days at work.”

     

    Arun Chandra Mohan, Founder & CEO, Jabong.com said, “We had a clear mandate for the creative pitch and BITM presented a differentiated strategy and a modern approach towards communication that stood out and matched our business focus. We will focus heavily on marketing in the coming years for the overall brand and we look forward to their participation in establishing Jabong as a leader in the industry and the most preferred online shopping fashion destination in India.”

     

    Bang in the Middle currently handles Zee News, Zee Business, Dulux Paints, Veen Waters, Alpha One Amritsar, Diva’ni, Vimal, Tupperware, Bhima Jewelers, Meridian Hotel Kochi among other brands, and has offices in Gurgaon, Kochi, Trivandrum, Kolkata, Chicago and New York

     

  • She was earlier the CEO of Firstpost.com, the leading news and opinion portal from the group

    Durga Raghunath elevated at Network18 Digital

    By a correspondent

     

    Network18 Digital, the digital content arm of Network18 has strengthened its leadership structure by elevating Durga Raghunath to CEO. She was earlier the CEO of Firstpost.com, the leading news and opinion portal from the group. Lakshmi Narasimhan, the previous CEO for the group’s digital content business, is now moving onto a corporate role.

     

    Ajay Chacko

    Commenting on the development, Ajay Chacko, COO, Network18 said, “At Network18 Digital, we are proud to have built cult digital content brands which have had a defining influence on the space. As consumer internet in India undergoes a paradigm shift, we continue to be focused on leading this change from the front. Durga is well-equipped to lead this effort for us due to her strong understanding of the digital user, products and the opportunity.”

     

     

    Lakshmi Narasimhan added, “Durga has played a stellar role in transforming Firstpost from an innovative idea into a leader brand today. We are confident that in this expanded mandate, she will take Network18 Digital to newer heights.”

     

    Raghunath has over ten years experience in publishing – both books and digital. She previously worked with the Wall Street Journal, Mint and HarperCollins in New York.

     

  • The deal will see Sony Music manage all digital assets for Zee Music's upcoming Bollywood releases

    Sony to manage digital assets of Zee Music

    By a correspondent

     

    Sony Music Entertainment India and Zee Music Company have announced a strategic worldwide digital deal wherein Sony Music will manage all digital assets for Zee Music’s upcoming Bollywood releases. The tieup further extends to exploring publishing for Zee Music’s assets for the rest of the world through Sony/ATV. Apart from the Zee Music releases, Sony Music will also be working on also other tent pole films with leading production houses including Vishesh Films, Dharma Production and Fox Star Studios. This deal will cumulatively grow Sony Music’s digital market share by approx 15 per cent.

     

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited had recently announced its foray into the music label space with its venture, Zee Music Company and acquired the music rights of over 20 major motion pictures. With this announcement Sony Music will have access to all of Zee Music’s releases including Holiday, Bang Bang, Bombay Velvet, Humshakal, Hawa Hawaii to name few.

     

    Sanujeet Bhujabal, Marketing Director Sony Music India said, “In the past we have worked with leading content creators like YRF and Disney. This strategic association will provide a global foot print to all the prestigious releases. This is a huge opportunity and together we believe we will be able to provide the best of music entertainment to fans.”

     

    Anurag Bedi, Head Zee Music Company said, “We’ve had a great relationship with Sony Music in the past, and are excited to have them as the digital partner for some of our forthcoming films. Partnering with Sony Music will be mutually beneficial as we have a robust slate for this year which includes about 20-25 films, all of which are produced by leading production houses.”

     

  • To premier on April 28, Har Mushkil Ka Hal – Akbar Birbal will be backed up by a multimedia marketing plan

    Big Magic announces Akbar-Birbal historical comedy

    By A Correspondent

     

    Big Magic, the Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd Hindi entertainment channel, has announced the launch of an Akbar-Birbal banter-based daily shop starting April 28.

     

    Featuring Kiku Sharda as Akbar, Delnaz Irani as Jodha, Vishal Kotial as Birbal and Kishwar Merchant as the courtesan in love with Birbal, the show will air at 9pm each weeknight.

     

    According to a statement issued by BIG Magic, the adaptation will ensure unmatched and unseen comedy entertainment. “The format and offering of the show is in keeping with our channel positioning of India’s first light entertainment channel and we are proud to be offering audiences India’s first historical comedy.”

     

  • A PwC survey of entertainment and media CEOs across 33 countires throws up some interesting findings

    Shifts in consumer spending and speed of tech change a threat to M&E

     

    Internationally reputed consulting major PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has revealed the findings of its 17th Annual Global CEO Survey where it surveyed 72 Media & Entertainment CEOS in 33 countries, and conducted in-depth interviews with three media CEOs: Michael Roth, Interpublic Group, Donatella Treu, II Sole 24 Ore SpA and Nigel Morrison, Skycity. While the main report can be downloaded from www.pwc.com/ceosurvey, here are the salient features:

     

    There is growing optimism amongst M&E CEOs as they transform their businesses and collaborate in order to capitalise on opportunities presented by technological advances and demographic shifts. However, the same business threats remain: shifts in consumer spending and behaviour and speed of technological change.

     

    In ‘Fit for the future: Capitalising on global trends’, we also explore three forces that business leaders think will transform their business in the next five years: technological advances, demographic changes and global economic shifts. We show how these trends, and more importantly the interplay between them, are creating many new – but challenging – opportunities for growth through: creating value in totally new ways; developing tomorrow’s workforce; and serving the new consumers.

     

    We also show how, in responding to these trends, CEOs have the opportunity to help solve important social problems.

     

    In short, the demands being placed on business leaders to adapt to the changing environment are increasing exponentially; CEOs are having to become hybrid leaders who can successfully run the business of today while creating the business of tomorrow.

     

    This sector key findings report takes a closer look at responses from M&E CEOs. It is based on 72 interviews, conducted in 33 countries around the world. We also cite in-depth conversations with two sector CEOs.

     

    Sector snapshot

    Product and service innovation will provide the greatest opportunity for revenue growth and is likely to play a pivotal role in addressing their greatest concerns in M&E: shifts in consumer spending and behaviour and speed of technological change. However, risk management is the area of the business least prepared moving forward.

     

    Growing optimism, but the same business threats remain

    There is growing optimism amongst M&E CEOs; 93% (compared to 80% in 2013) are somewhat or very confident in their company prospects for revenue growth in the next three years. They are also more optimistic about the global economy despite some concerns. 39% of M&E CEOs believe that the global economy will  improve in the next 12 months, compared to 20% last year. However, there are concerns about Government response to fiscal deficit and debt burden and growth in developed economies.

     

    The same business threats remain this year. The top three business threats M&E CEOs are extremely concerned about are: shifts in consumer spending and behaviour; speed of technological change; and new market entrants.

     

    Innovation will drive growth, but is more Government support needed?

    Over half of M&E CEOs surveyed (56%) see product/service innovation as the main opportunity to grow their business in the next 12 months, more than any other industry surveyed. As such, a majority of M&E CEOs are focusing on developing an ‘innovation ecosystem’ which supports growth. However, 58% also think that the Government in their country has been ineffective/greatly ineffective in developing such as ecosystem.

     

    Growing optimism in company growth prospects…

    There is growing optimism amongst M&E CEOs in their company prospects for revenue growth in both the short and medium term:

     

    • 83% of M&E CEOs surveyed (compared to 70% in 2013) are somewhat or very confident in their company prospects for revenue growth in the next 12 months

     

    • 93% of M&E CEOs surveyed (compared to 80% in 2013) are somewhat or very confident in their company prospects for revenue growth in the next 3 years

     

    Entertainment and media CEOs are also more optimistic about the global economy despite some concerns

    39% of M&E CEOs believe that the global economy will improve in the next 12 months, compared to 20% last year. However, M&E CEOs also have some concerns: 74% are concerned about Government response to fiscal deficit and debt burden and three quarters are concerned about the continued slow or negative growth in developed economies.

     

    The same business threats remain

     

    Shifts in consumer spending and behaviours, and the speed of technological change continue to keep CEOs awake at night and are their greatest concerns:

     

    • 71% of M&E CEOs are somewhat or extremely concerned about shifts in consumer spending and behaviours, more than any other industry surveyed (and compared to a global total response of 52%)

     

    • 65% of M&E CEOs are somewhat or extremely concerned about the speed of technological change (compared to a total global response of 47%)

     

    But what gives entertainment and media CEOs the most sleepless nights?

    Top three business threats M&E CEOs are extremely concerned about

     

    Shifts in consumer spending and behaviours

    M&E CEOs, more than any other industry surveyed, are extremely concerned about shifts in consumer spending and behaviours.

     

    Speed of technological change

    Technology continues to transform the industry and M&E CEOs, more than any other industry surveyed, are extremely concerned about the speed of technological change.

     

    New market entrants

    M&E CEOs, more than any other industry surveyed, are extremely concerned about new market entrants.

     

    What are entertainment and media CEOs saying about shifts in consumer spending and behaviours and the pace of technological change?

     

    What PwC is saying

    New technology and changing consumer spending patterns will continue to dramatically shape the M&E industry at great pace.

     

    For example, in 2014 we forecast that consumer spend on mobile Internet will overtake that from fixed broadband. Clearly this provides great opportunity for those businesses best prepared.

     

    Innovation will drive growth and help address entertainment and media CEOs greatest concerns…

     

    M&E CEOs are optimistic about their growth prospects, but what will drive this growth?

    Growth will be mostly organic:

     

    • Over half of M&E CEOs surveyed (56%) see product/service innovation as the main opportunity to grow their business in the next 12 months, more than any other industry surveyed

     

    • Innovation in product/services will play a vital in role in addressing M&E CEOs greatest concern: shifts in consumer spending and behaviour and the speed of technological change

     

    Innovation will drive growth and help address entertainment and media CEOs greatest concerns [continued]…

     

    Constant innovation is critical to meet the demands of a more ‘connected’ consumer, as such:

     

    • 56% M&E businesses are focusing on developing an ‘innovation ecosystem’ which supports growth as a priority

     

    • 61% have either completed or are carrying out technology investment change programmes or have concrete plans in place to do so

     

    …but is more Government support needed?

    Most M&E CEOs think the Government has been ineffective in developing an innovation ecosystem which supports growth

     

    Ineffective in creating an innovation ecosystem

    More than half M&E CEOs think that Government has been ineffective in developing an innovation ecosystem that supports growth.

     

    Innovation should be a priority

    Compared to the global response, more M&E CEOs think that developing an innovation ecosystem that supports growth should be a top priority for Government.

     

    Regulation has impeded innovation

    Some M&E CEOs believe that as a result of regulation they have not been able to innovate effectively in the last 12 months.

     

    Innovation: what are the rewards?

    For companies willing to invest in the right innovation strategy the potential rewards are significant…

    …the most innovative 20% of media, technology and telecoms companies we interviewed, in a recent survey (Seizing the innovation edge), have collectively benefited from an additional US $45 billion in revenue over the last three years, compared with the least innovative companies. This is the equivalent of more than US $1 billion per company, or a 14% revenue uplift.

     

    For further information on PwC’s Global telecoms, media and technology innovation series visit www.pwc.com/TMTinnovators

     

     

    A more collaborative approach in 2014…

    Nearly two thirds of M&E CEOs surveyed (61% compared to 44% cross-industry response) plan to enter a new strategic alliance or joint venture in the coming 12 months, more than almost any other industry group surveyed.

     

    This is a significant increase on last year; only 43% of M&E CEOs said they planned to enter into a new strategic alliance or joint venture in 2013.

     

    Of those planning a strategic alliance or joint venture, 55% plan to do so in the more mature markets, which are driving digital growth: North America and Western Europe.

     

    …but not top of the growth agenda

    Even though more M&E CEOs are planning on entering into a new strategic alliance or joint venture in the coming 12 months, they are not top of the growth agenda:

     

    • Only 11% of M&E CEOs surveyed believe that strategic alliances and joint ventures will be the main opportunity for growth

     

    Business transformation is underway

     

    M&E CEOs have been busy transforming their businesses in order to capitalise on global trends namely: technological advances and demographic shifts

     

    • More than any other industry, 94% of M&E CEOs rank technological advances as one of the top three global trends that will have the most transformative effect on their businesses over the next 5 years

     

    • 68% of M&E CEOs rank demographic shifts as one of the top three global trends that will have the most transformative effect on their business over the next 5 years

     

    Customer growth and retention and technology investment is a priority…

    M&E CEOs have been busy transforming their businesses in response to global trends.

     

    With shifts in consumer spending and behaviours and the speed of technological change being key concerns for M&E CEOs, it is no surprise that nearly two thirds are making changes in the areas of customer growth and retention and technology investments.

     

    …but what about risk management?

    However, they are behind in some key areas such as risk management and strategy and organisational structure, with fewer change programmes either underway or completed than the total global response (38% compared to 53%).

     

    M&E CEOs also believe that risk management is the area of the business least prepared to make changes in response to global trends.